What does that Cloud look like to you?

by Joyce Maroney on August 14, 2012

Our board member, William Tincup, frequently has a provocative point of view about the human resource issues of the day. Here he takes on “the Cloud” and specifically, how potential buyers of technology need to evaluate whether cloud solutions are right for them.

When my smart phone doesn’t work I’m sure the random Verizon mall employee, ahem professional, could explain why the network failed me, or why the device I’m using is out-of-date, or why the applications I downloaded are burning up my phone, etc. I would listen to any and all explanations, maybe even understand some of the cell gibberish, but at the end of the day: I just want my phone to work. After all, I’m a simple man.

When my new Mini Cooper doesn’t start I’m sure the expert mechanics at my local dealership could explain that the summer heat in Texas is making the sensors in my tires light up like Christmas trees, or why they really prefer super unleaded gas in the car at ALL times, or why driving 110 mph with the sun roof open affects my average gas mileage, etc. I would listen to any and all explanations, maybe even understand some of the new car ownership gibberish, but at the end of the day: I just want my car to work the way I want it to work.

When my fancy digital cable TV doesn’t work. I’m sure Larry the Cable Guy could explain why network outages in my neighborhood are rare but they do happen, or that I have an older model receiver box thingy, or that the DVR box needs to be “on” all the time, etc. I would listen to any and all explanations, maybe even understand some of what Larry is telling me, but at the end of the day: I just want my TV to work. The thing is humungous… people from Mars can see my TV… that said, I just want the damn thing to work all the time, every single time.

We’ve come to expect technology to just work. And work all the time. As a society, we’re getting really greedy in our zest for having it our way. Meaning, the tech in our lives has to fit around our particular needs. Which brings me to our collective fascination with the cloud. Before we all fall madly in love with the cloud – and I feel that we should fall in love with the cloud – we need to stop and remember: It has to work. It has to work for us personally, professionally, via our workflow, via our workforce, in our businesses, etc. Work for US.

I think some software companies want to focus too much on how the technology is delivered and NOT enough on how their technology would work within a particular work culture. In my humble opinion, there is too much hype around SaaS and/or the Cloud. I think the buyers and users of technology need to really think deep about what works best in their organization. Because, and I’ll stick by this: It has to work. Which might be a cloud solution, or it might not.

At Kronos, we are seeing rapid growth in the adoption of our Cloud solutions among our customers. We offer multiple options because to William’s point and like the pictures above, the right Cloud for one organization isn’t necessarily the best for all.

In the end you are right, the Cloud just needs to work. But before we get to the end we need to think about the start. The Cloud is a big change in mindset, at least to most people born before 2001. So perhaps it does deserve the hype to help people realize that this new world runs quite differently from everything they’ve grown up with.

Your right David it is going to need a good amount of hype to come across the older generation. However most CEO’s and Executive teams really embrace it once they see the difference adopting cloud tech can be to your operating cost. At Ipns.com we consistently save companies anywhere from 30% to 40% by putting there data management and phone services on the cloud and THAT is something everyone should get excited about.

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